1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to display attaching apparatus and, more particularly, is directed to a seat having an arm rest to which is attached a display monitor suitable for application to passenger seats of aircraft, railroad cars and busses to enable passengers to watch video programs on the display monitor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, low-power type display apparatus such as liquid crystal display-type television monitors and the like have been mass-produced, thus becoming less expensive. This technical progress promotes the development of display apparatus for attaching display monitors to the passenger seats of aircraft, railroad cars and busses so that individual passengers can view video programs while travelling.
The prior art display apparatus for attaching display monitors to passenger seats are roughly classified to provide the following two types: (A) a display monitor is attached to the seat back of the passenger seat just in front of the passenger who wants to watch a video program; and (B) a display monitor is mounted to the arm rest of each passenger seat.
The display apparatus of type A suffers from the disadvantage that, when the seat back is reclined, the display monitor becomes difficult to see because the distance between the passenger and the display monitor is increased by the reclining amount of the seat back. Furthermore, the distance between control switches and the display monitor is also increased and the interconnection therebetween is made complicated.
Conventional display apparatus of type B also suffer from a number of disadvantages. First, mounting the display monitor to the arm rest of the seat tends to position the monitor over the arm rest rather than in front of a viewer sitting in the seat. Second, unless the monitor can be easily moved to a stowed position, the monitor will disturb the entrance and exit of the viewer sitting in the seat, as well as the passenger sitting in the adjacent seat. Finally, conventional display apparatus that are capable of being moved to a stowed position are usually bulky and require a large amount of space inside the arm rest to conceal the entire unit. The large space requirements of these units limits the space that is available for accessory apparatus such as a tray for meals, ashtray and various kinds of control switches.